Legal opportunity structures and social movements - The effects of institutional change on Costa Rican politics

    Authors

    B. M. Wilson;J. C. Rodriguez Cordero

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Comp. Polit. Stud.

    Keywords

    legal opportunity; institutional change; constitutional court; marginalized groups; gays; people living with AIDS; Costa Rica; DEMOCRACY; Political Science

    Abstract

    How does institutional change in established democracies affect the distribution of political power in society? The new constitutional court in Costa Rica allows the authors to analyze the effects of judicial reform oil the capacity of politically marginalized groups to safeguard their Constitutional rights. Particular attention is paid to homosexuals, AIDS patients, and labor unions. The authors argue that it was not the establishment of the court as Such but rather the specific rules regulating access to and cost of approaching the court that enabled marginalized groups to push for their rights and effectively circumvent the traditional policy-making process. Although these groups did not will all their cases, they have nonetheless been able to achieve considerable success in the protection of their previously denied constitutional rights. The legal reform partially redistributed power in society front policy makers to social groups and individuals.

    Journal Title

    Comparative Political Studies

    Volume

    39

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2006

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    325

    Last Page

    351

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000235974200003

    ISSN

    0010-4140

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